Rob Morris (Freemason)
| Rob Morris | |
|---|---|
| Born |
August 31, 1818 near Boston, Massachusetts |
| Died | July 31, 1888 (aged 69) |
| Resting place | La Grange, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | teacher |
| Known for | Poetry and Freemasonry |
| Title | Poet Laureate of Freemasonry |
| Predecessor | Robert Burns |
Rob Morris was a prominent American poet and Freemason. He also created the first ritual for what was to become the Order of the Eastern Star.
Many references state that Rob Morris was born on August 31, 1818, near Boston, Massachusetts. However, there is some evidence that he was born Robert Williams Peckham, in New York City, and that he adopted the name of his foster parents after the death of his birth parents, later shortening his name to Rob to avoid confusion with another poet named Robert Morris. He grew up in New York, where he (apparently)cite? also went to college.
He worked as a teacher for 10 years before moving to Oxford, Mississippi, where he continued teaching at Mount Sylvan Academy, a school established by Freemasons. While living in Oxford, he met Charlotte Mendenhall, whom he married on August 26, 1841.
After he became a Mason on March 5, 1846, he became convinced that there needed to be a way for female relatives of Masons to share in some measure in the benefits of Freemasonry. While teaching at the Eureka Masonic College ("The Little Red Brick School Building") in Richland, Mississippi in 1849-1850, he wrote Eastern Star's first ritual, titled The Rosary of the Eastern Star. He organized a "Supreme Constellation" in 1845 to charter Star chapters. In 1866, because of his planned travel abroad, he handed over the organizational authority of Eastern Star to Robert Macoy.
He later served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Kentucky in 1858-9. Upon being given a job as professor of the Masonic University, he moved to La Grange, Kentucky in 1860.
Over the years, he wrote over 400 poems, many of which were devoted to Eastern Star and Masonry. While traveling in the Holy Land, he wrote the words to the hymn "O Galilee". In 1854, he wrote "", which may be his best-known poem.
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